


Victim of Power

by westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist



Category: The West Wing
Genre: Drama, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2002-02-09
Updated: 2002-02-09
Packaged: 2019-05-15 01:11:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,602
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14780810
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist/pseuds/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist
Summary: A new Senator is perfect - or is he?





	1. Victim of Power

**Author's Note:**

> A copy of this work was once archived at National Library, a part of the [ West Wing Fanfiction Central](https://fanlore.org/wiki/West_Wing_Fanfiction_Central), a West Wing fanfiction archive. More information about the Open Doors approved archive move can be found in the [announcement post](http://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/8325).

Okay, this is a serious one and deals with the sensitive topic of sexual harassment. You have been warned.

Disclaimer: These characters do not belong to me and no copyright infringement is intended.

Rating: R, for serious themes and some bad language

Pairing: Toby/Andrea

Synopsis: A new Senator is perfect - or is he?

Victim of Power

"Have I been perfectly clear about how much I don't want to go to this meeting?" Toby asked Josh, as they walked to the Mural Room.

"Yes."

"And have I been perfectly clear about how much I really don't think that Senator Fairbairn is the greatest thing that ever happened to the Democratic Party?"

"Yes."

"I'm just making sure."

"I happen to agree with you on the last point, though."

"You do?"

"Yeah. Fairbairn isn't the greatest thing to happen to the Democratic Party. Bartlett is." Josh said, with a smile. "Fairbairn comes a close second, though."

**

Steve Fairbairn was standing in the Mural Room, admiring the decor. He was a tall, handsome man in his forties, his hair a becoming silvery grey. He was photogenic, telegenic, witty, charming and intelligent. The Democratic Party was in love with their new Senator from Pennsylvania. He was a widower, with two sons who were, respectively, football and basketball stars for their college teams and he came from a solidly middle class family.

Toby barely glanced at him. He had eyes only for the woman who had come with Fairbairn. Andi.

"Mr. Lyman." Fairbairn came forward and took Josh's hand in a firm grip.

"It's Josh." Josh replied. "We tend to be pretty informal in meetings. Have you met Toby Ziegler?"

"No. It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Ziegler... Toby. I was impressed by your work on bill 906 last session."

"Thank you." Toby said nicely.

"I've asked Congresswoman Wyatt to join me with this issue. She's got a lot of good ideas and she agreed to help me find my way around."

"Hi, Andrea." Josh smiled at her.

"Thanks, Josh."

Fairbairn looked slightly uncomfortable when Andrea said nothing to Toby and he said nothing to her.

"Andrea, have you met Mr. Ziegler?" He asked her in a low tone.

"Yes." Andrea nodded. "We've met."

"It's a pleasure to see you again, Andrea." Toby said, with a preternaturally solemn look on his face. She raised her brows and bit her lip to keep from laughing. She knew that look; he was trying not to make a wisecrack at the poor Senator's expense.

"Let's get down to work, shall we?" Josh said pleasantly.

**

The meeting was fairly productive. Fairbairn listened attentively to the bewildering flow of information and asked intelligent questions.

Josh was practically spinning in his chair with glee. This guy was the perfect point man for the Medicare fight. With the House so fractious, they needed a new face and Fairbairn had just the right face for it.

"So what did you think? Is this guy great or what?" Josh asked Toby as they packed up their papers after Fairbairn and his entourage left the room.

"He's too perfect." Toby said thoughtfully. "Nobody is that good."

"I am."

"No, you're not. And neither is he."

"So what's the problem with him? We learned our lesson with Sam's old college buddy and we checked him out thoroughly. He's the real thing, Toby."

"There's something about him I don't like."

"Probably the way he was looking at Andrea." Josh grinned. "Face it, my friend, you're jealous."

"Why would I be jealous?"

"Let's see. He's taller than you, younger than you, richer than you and has more hair than you do."

"My height, age, financial status and hair or lack thereof has never mattered to Andrea." Toby said stiffly.

**

"Toby, may I talk to you for a moment?" Andrea was waiting for him in the hallway. Fairbairn was waiting for her, having stopped to exchange pleasantries with Sam.

"Sure."

With a glance at Fairbairn, Andi pulled Toby to the middle of the corridor.

"Kiss me." She demanded.

"What?"

"Kiss me." She repeated, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Andi..." The rest of what he was about to say was lost as Andi locked her lips with his.

It didn't matter to Toby that they were in the middle of a very active hallway. It didn't matter that he and Andi were divorced. It didn't matter that he had no idea why Andi wanted this. All that mattered was that she did.

She felt wonderful in his arms. He had one hand holding her to him, his other hand tangling in her hair, dislodging the pins that held it up. It had been so long since he had kissed her; she tasted so sweet.

It seemed an eternity before he finally heard Sam's increasingly louder throat clearings.

"Toby..." Sam's voice finally broke through and he lifted his head. Andi looked as dazed as he felt. She eased her way out of his arms and smiled tremulously at him.

"Thanks."

"Andi, what...?"

"I'll explain later. I have to go." Andi whispered. She turned and left.

\-- Adrienne                   

  

  

  

  


	2. Victim of Power 2

See warnings and disclaimer in part 1.

"You know, my office has a door that closes and doesn't have windows to the outer office like yours does." Josh commented quietly. He was less shocked than amused at the scene, although he'd seen pornographic movies with less passion than Toby and Andrea in that lip lock. Sam, bless his innocent little soul, was blushing.

"Toby, making out with a woman in the middle of the hallway is a uh... um..." Sam said, stammering a little.

"Inappropriate?" Toby filled in harshly. "Yes, I know."

**

"Toby, what was that little scene all about?" Leo asked somewhere between angry than puzzled.

"I have no idea."

"You were about five minutes away from giving the White House hallway an X rating and you don't know why? Josh looked like he needed a cold shower."

"Andi asked me to kiss her." Toby frowned.

"And you have to act out something from a bad romance novel?"

"Leo, if Jenny came up to you this afternoon and asked you to kiss her, what would you do?"

Leo paused for a moment and his expression softened.

"I'd show her a certain vacant office on the sub-basement level. There's a couch in there..." Leo half smiled. "You and Andrea aren't getting back together, are you?"

"Until about ten minutes ago, I would have said no." Toby sighed. "I don't know what that was all about, Leo. She said she'd explain later."

"Just make sure the explanation takes place somewhere a little more private than the main hallway."

**

"Toby?" Andrea sounded almost timid as she hovered by Toby's office door. Toby rose, dragged her into the office, shut the door and closed the blinds.

"What was that all about, Andi?" He demanded, much more harshly than he had intended. It had taken nearly three hours to concentrate enough to get any real work done.

"Steve Fairbairn keeps asking me out." She said slowly.

"Couldn't you just have said no?"

"I did. He doesn't listen." Andi replied. "So I told him I was seeing someone and he still didn't stop. So I thought that if he saw me with that other guy, he'd back off."

"You couldn't just had made some reference to seeing me later or something? I would have backed you up. You didn't have to search for my tonsils."

"You don't have tonsils anymore." Andi responded, then sighed. "I didn't expect it to go that far. All I wanted to do is give Steve proof that I really was seeing someone and not just trying to put him off."

"Let me get this straight." Toby said slowly, leaning against his desk. "Steve Fairbairn has been asking you out."

"Yes."

"And he won't take no for an answer."

"Yes"

"That's called sexual harassment."

"I wouldn't say that..."

"But that's what it is, isn't it?"

"Yeah." Andi nodded.

"Why don't you just report him?"

"You know why. He's the Democratic Party's fair haired boy right now."

"Why didn't you threaten him with it? It's not like you can't stand up for yourself."

"It's not that simple." Andi said, looking away.

"Why not?"

"It's just not." Andi sat down, her shoulders slumping.

Toby watched her for a moment, then sighed. He went out to the outer office and got two mugs of tea.

"Ginger? Could you clear my schedule for about an hour?"

"You have a meeting with Leo in ten minutes."

"Cancel and I'll explain it to Leo as soon as I can."

**

Toby found Andi still sitting there, looking at her hands. He sat down on the couch and handed her a cup. She took it and wrapped her hands around the mug as if it gave her strength.

"Okay, Andi, what's the whole story?"

"About a month ago, Steve was looking for people for the full house Medicare committee. I wanted to be on that committee." Andi began. "I knew he was going to be a high profile Senator and that being on the committee would raise my profile, too."

"Not to mention that Medicare reform is one of your pet projects." Toby inserted.

"Exactly. With Steve at the head, there's some chance of getting something done. I know that a comprehensive package of basic universal health care is not going to happen, but we could do more than we're doing now."

"Agreed. So what happened?"

"I set up a meeting and he was very nice about it. He complimented me on my interest and we talked about the issue."

"And?"

"And he asked me out for a drink."

"And you turned him down."

"I accepted." Andi looked at her ex-husband defiantly. "I went for a few drinks and we ended up at his place."

"You slept with him."

"Yeah."

**

"Where's Toby?" Josh stopped CJ in the hall.

"In his office." CJ said automatically. "I think he's in a meeting. He's got the door closed and the blinds drawn."

"He's supposed to be in a meeting with me and Leo. Who's he with?"

"Andrea." CJ replied. She had seen Andi arrive. "If he's supposed to be with you guys, just go in and remind him."

"Not in this lifetime." Josh shook his head.

"Why not? You like interrupting Toby. It bothers him and that's what you live for."

"Yeah, and I'd like to continue living."

"What?"

"Did you happen to see what happened in the main hallway about four hours ago?"

"No. What happened in the main hallway?"

"You didn't hear?"

"Obviously not." CJ snapped. "Spill it, Joshua. What happened? Did Toby and Andi get into a fight or something?"

"Worse."

"Worse? What could possibly be worse than those two getting into one of their shouting matches?"

"They were as close to having sex as you can get without taking off your clothes."

"What?"

"I kid you not, CJ. Toby had her in a clinch so hot that I was surprised that the floor wasn't melting. And Andrea wasn't fighting him off. She was standing as close to him as possible without violating the laws of physics." Josh explained. "Ask Sam. It was so bad that Sam was blushing and he's the one who slept with a call girl."

"Toby and Andi. Kissing. In the main hallway." CJ blinked. "I wonder what the hell is going on with those two?"

"I don't know, but I am not going into Toby's office with Andrea in there."

  

  


	3. Victim of Power 3

See warning and disclaimer in part 1

Leo looked up as Toby arrived in his office.

"Nice of you to make it." Leo said sarcastically.

"I was talking to Andi."

"Well, next time you can... talk... to your wife on your own time."

"Andi says that Steve Fairbairn is sexually harassing her."

"What?"

"He keeps asking her out and won't take no for an answer."

"Danny Concannon does the same thing with CJ. I'm sure she doesn't call that sexual harassment."

"Andi is really uncomfortable about it."

"So Andi has a problem with saying no forcefully enough." Leo said dismissively.

"Leo, she was married to me for fifteen years. Believe me, Andi has no trouble telling even the most stubborn man where to get off." Toby pointed out. "I think there's more to it than just a simple persistent suitor."

"Toby, I realize that you want to slay dragons for Andrea, but I'm not sure there is a dragon here for you to slay." Leo leaned back in his chair. "Andrea's fairly new to the whole singles thing and times have changed in the last few decades. She's probably overreacting."

"Andrea asked me to kiss her in a public place to get this guy off her back. Much as I would like to believe that Andi just wanted an excuse to touch me, I doubt she would have gone that far unless she was really scared."

"Has she got any proof?"

"Just innuendo and a few risque comments. Nothing really tangible."

"Then there's nothing you can do about it. Talk to Lionel and get up to date on the harassment policies. That way you can be there to help Andrea if something happens." Leo replied. "Now, about the President's remarks on the Middle East..."

**

"Hey, hotstuff." CJ rapped lightly on Toby's door. "You got the proposals for the World Health Organization summit?"

"Just finishing up. And don't call me that." Toby said, furiously typing.

"Why not? You were really cooking out in the halls today." CJ said, with a smirk.

"CJ."

"Yeah?"

"Go away."

"Give me the proposals."

Toby saved the file and popped the disk.

"Here. Go away."

"My, we are a little testy, aren't we?"

"CJ, I swear to God, if you don't go away right now, I am going to make you proofread Sam's precis on the status of the Middle East peace initiatives."

"I'm out of here."

**

Toby really didn't want to go to the next meeting with Fairbairn, but had no choice. Josh made no comment about his surly attitude; Josh was far too used to it.

The meeting was professional and productive. Andi was not there, but Fairbairn has made significant progress in bringing some of the most reliable and respected professionals into the discussion. Toby had to grudgingly agree with Josh that bringing Fairbairn on board for the Medicare issue was a brilliant move. "Toby, can I talk to you for a minute?" Fairbairn asked, just as the meeting was breaking up.

"Sure." Toby replied and led Fairbairn to his office.

"So this is what the West Wing offices look like." Fairbairn said, looking around. "The Oval Office is right over there, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is. What did you want to talk to me about?"

"Andrea." Fairbairn said seriously. "She's a beautiful woman."

"Yes, she is." Toby replied coldly.

"Look, I realize that she and you have some kind of a thing going, but there's no reason for you to look at me as if I just crawled out from under a rock. I am not going to put up with one of your famous tantrums. I will not be treated like that."

"I treat everyone like that." Toby assured him. "You'll get used to it."

"I don't want to get used to it. I have supporters in the Party and I won't be pushed around." Fairbairn said stubbornly. "Andrea's a babe, but she isn't worth getting bent out of shape for. She slept her way to the top, like most women in politics."

"Pardon?" Ice was warmer than Toby's voice.

"She used to be married to some party hack. He was a nobody, but he had good connections. After she got elected, she dumped him." Fairbairn pointed out. "She went after me when this Medicare thing came along and now she's trying it with you. After all, you work in the West Wing and have the ear of the President."

"Do you happen to know the name of that party hack?" Toby asked, dangerously quiet.

"Something Wyatt, I assume." Fairbairn shrugged. "What does it matter?"

"Andrea's maiden name is Wyatt." Toby pointed out slowly. "Her married name was Ziegler."

"Ziegler?" Fairbairn frowned, the connection starting to fall into place.

"She was married to me." Toby said flatly. "And I do not appreciate such slurs on my ex-wife's character."

"Oh. Hey, I didn't mean..." Fairbairn backpedalled quickly.

"I know exactly what you meant." Toby interrupted. "Andi told me that you've been hassling her. I want it to stop as of now."

"I haven't been hassling her." Fairbairn protested. "I asked her out, that's all. If she says anything different, she's lying."

"I believe I already said I don't appreciate slurs on her character." Toby said, with terrifying gentleness. "You will leave her be from now on. Understood?"

"Wait a minute." Fairbairn was regaining his poise. "All I did was ask the woman out. You have no right to dictate to me about who I can and can't ask out."

"No, I can't." Toby agreed, folding his arms. "However, I can and do have the right to speak to Lionel Tribbey in the Counsel's office about your behaviour. I also have the right, if not the obligation, to report my objections to your harassment to the President himself."

"You can't do that."

"If the President asks my opinion, I am obliged to give it. And if there is any hint of Andrea being harassed again, I will make sure he hears it."

"You're hardly objective in this."

"You can take that up with the President." Toby said dismissively. "If you want to make an appointment with him, I think he's free for ten minutes in about ten days. Now, if you will get the hell out of my office, I have a meeting. With the President."

\--

\-- Adrienne                   


	4. Victim of Power 4

See warning and disclaimer in part 1

"Sir, if I may say something?" Toby hesitated as he folded up his papers. Bartlett looked up over his glasses.

"Yes, what is it, Toby?"

"Steve Fairbairn and the Medicare committee." Toby began. "We got into a bit of an argument this afternoon."

"Why? Fairbairn is on the same page as we are."

"It's personal."

"Does this have something to do with that extraordinarily entertaining bit of gossip that made the rounds last week?"

"Yes, Sir." Toby sighed. "Andi told me that Fairbairn is harassing her. Fairbairn talked to me after today's meeting and made some unflattering remarks about Andi and women in general."

"I hope you told him to back off."

"Yes, Sir."

"Did you offer to rip his arm off and beat him over the head with the mushy end?"

"No, Sir."

"You should have. I wouldn't have put up with comments like that about Abbey." Bartlett said calmly. "Or any of the other women around here. I assume he blustered that he has powerful friends in the party?"

"Yes, Sir."

"So do you. So does Andi. My status is better than his any day. If he doesn't back off with her, I'll have a word with him."

"Sir, it really doesn't merit..."

"Sexual harassment certainly does merit my attention, Toby." Bartlett said firmly. "He's got a point; his popularity makes him pretty much untouchable. Except by me. The party will shrug off the concerns of a junior congresswoman when up against somebody like Fairbairn. They shouldn't, but they will. They won't shrug off my concerns."

"Thank you, Sir."

**

"You son of a bitch." Fairbairn stormed into Toby's office a few days later. "How dare you?"

"How dare I what?" Toby replied, carefully marking his place in the reference book he had been reading.

"You went to the President."

"Yes, I did."

"You went to the President and made up some story to discredit me." Fairbairn said, with rising fury. "You'll pay for that, Ziegler. You'll pay."

"How?"

"The gloves are off, Ziegler. I play hardball and you're finished in this town. You and your pretty little piece of tail."

"Get out of my office." Toby ordered. "Get the hell out of the White House."

"No, Ziegler. It's you that will get the hell out of the White House. I'll have your ass fired so fast your head will spin."

"I've been fired before." Toby said as calmly as he could, although he was starting to shake with anger.

"Nobody messes with Steve Fairbairn and gets away with it." Fairbairn hissed and walked out.

**

"Okay, Toby. Explain to me how you managed to piss off Steve Fairbairn." Josh ran his hands through his hair. "My God, Toby. He was our best chance to get somewhere with Medicare reform and you have to fuck it up by getting in the guys face about something. Just what the hell was it?"

"He's been harassing Andrea."

"That's it?" Josh bounded to his feet and began to pace. "He comes within ten feet of the woman who left you and you get all bent out of shape? Andrea's a big girl. She can take care of herself."

"Josh, when Andrea comes to me and asks me to help her get this guy off her back, it's more serious than a few risque comments." Toby replied. Josh stopped pacing and faced Toby.

"Andrea asked you to help her?"

"Yes."

"'Cause this guy won't leave her alone."

"Yes."

"Toby, I watched Andrea rip you to shreds and leave you bleeding on the floor."

"I remember." Toby gave a wry smile; Andi had been in fine form when they had crossed paths during the campaign.

"Any woman who can do that to you isn't too shy to let her feelings known."

"Yes."

"Man." Josh walked over to his chair and sat down with a thump. "It is serious. Has he... you know... hurt her?"

"Not yet." Toby frowned. "He did threaten her."

"How? What did he say?"

"He said he was going to make sure I was finished in Washington. Me and my pretty piece of tail."

"He called Andrea a piece of tail?" Josh echoed, shocked. "What kind of a guy talks about a US member of Congress like that?"

"Or any woman." Toby murmured. "The kind of a guy we don't need around us."

"No... That whole Medicare thing will fall apart without him." Josh moaned.

"Not necessarily. The committee has a lot of good people on it. All we need to do is find another front person and groom them for it."

"No, Toby. If we pull Fairbairn off it, the committee dies. Unless we have something on him, we can't dump him." Josh shook his head. "About the only thing we can do is get Andrea off the committee and you off the issue."

"Josh.."

"I know, I know. But we need him on the committee and he won't do it unless you and Andrea are out."

"So he wins."

"We win, Toby." Josh said slowly. "Look, I know you have a problem with him and I'm not too keen on him myself right now, but we can't dump Medicare reform because he talks about women like they're trash, okay? I'll talk to him and smooth it over. Then I'll talk to Callighan and Fenris and explain that this is a personal thing between you and him and we can save this."

"I don't like that option."

"Neither do I, but the Party warhorses are asking questions." Josh countered. "They want to know why their newest shining light is complaining about being insulted by the White House. I tell them that he got into a conflict with you and they'll understand. I can get Andrea on the President's Advisory for Human Rights, which will give her as much profile as Medicare, so she won't be hurt by it."

"And he gets away with harassment."

"You have any usable evidence and his ass is grass. Tribbey is livid about it, but he can't do anything without evidence."

**

Toby didn't know exactly what Josh told people, but it appeared that Fairbairn had not been able to made good on his promise to get him fired. Toby's abrasive attitude was too well known for Fairbairn to get a lot of support from the other Democratic senators and party officials.

Most of them seemed amused that the new Senator had survived an encounter with Toby at his most annoying. Steve Fairbairn had gone through his first trial by fire and had remained standing.

"I don't know what you said to Steve, Toby, but he sure was pissed about it." Senator Peckford chuckled at a meeting. "I'm glad you haven't lost your touch. Anyway, about the position paper on bill 204..."

\--

Adrienne                   


	5. Victim of Power 5

See warning and disclaimer in part 1; this part may disturb some readers.

Andi wasn't pleased about being pulled off Medicare, but she was relieved to be away from the constant pressure of working with Steve Fairbairn. Human rights was another of her issues, so Josh's recommendation to the Advisory was an acceptable alternative.

She had been enthusiastically welcomed on the Advisory; they had needed another woman and she was actually in the legislature. After the tension of the last few weeks, she finally felt able to relax.

She was in her office, reading the Amnesty International report on human rights abuses, making careful note of the criticisms of the United States. She was working on a recommendation for the Advisory to be proactive on some of these issues, rather than just reacting to complaints.

She was also waiting for one of the White House Counsel people to arrive to help with the recommendations. Lionel Tribbey had practically kissed her feet when she asked; Lionel made Nelson Mandela look like a fascist.

**

"Well, you're sitting pretty." Steve Fairbairn appeared at her door and smiled nastily. "I see you still have your ex wrapped around your finger."

"I don't see where my relationship with my ex-husband is any concern of yours." Andrea said frostily.

"Oh, but it is." Fairbairn corrected her. "You go to him with some sob story about your feelings being hurt and he goes to the President. You get on one of Bartlett's pet Advisory committees and nobody cares that all you had to do was spread your legs for that surly bastard."

"Surly?" Andrea raised her eyebrows, feigning amusement. "Toby was nicer to you than I expected if he was only surly."

"Wrong answer, bitch." Fairbairn marched to her desk and slammed his hand down on it. "That Jewish bastard made me look bad to the President and it's all your fault."

"Racist as well as sexist." Andrea remarked, her temper exploding. "If you hadn't harassed me, I would never have gone to Toby in the first place. You'd still be everybody's fair haired boy if you had taken no for an answer."

"But you didn't say no, did you, you little slut?" Fairbairn narrowed his eyes. "You said yes. And when you got what you wanted, you decided to play coy with me. Once you were on the committee, you went for higher stakes. Your loser of an ex- husband turns out to have the President's ear, so you latch on to him. There's a word for a woman like you. You didn't deliver nearly enough for what you got."

"Get out of my office." Andrea commanded.

"Oh, no, sweetheart. You never gave me anything like you gave that fat, balding Jew in the hallway."

Fairbairn came around the desk, reaching for her. Andrea backed away, trying to avoid his grasp. He was between her and the door and he managed to back her against the wall.

She struggled and screamed, but he pushed her back, holding her trapped with his body. She tried to avoid the greedy lips that caught hers, but he kissed her harshly, forcing his tongue into her mouth.

Andrea kicked and struggled, but she knew she was not going to win this battle. There wasn't anybody in any of the offices at this hour. She prayed fervently that Lionel would show up with his infamous cricket bat.

**

Ainsley wasn't happy about being sent on a meeting this late at night. Not happy at all.

"I get yelled at by an insane man with a cricket bat, who just happens to be my boss. My office is a steam bath with decor only Edward Gorey would love. Most of the staff hates me for being a Republican. The ones that don't patronize me because I'm young and blonde. I get sent dead flowers on my first day. And now I have to trudge all the way over here in the middle of the night to talk to a Congresswoman who wants to bitch about human rights." She said to herself as she walked through the silent corridors. "Someday, when I'm old and grey I'm going to tell my grandchildren how much I loved this job and I'll be so senile that I'll believe it myself."

She arrived at the office and knocked politely. She frowned as she did so; there were some awfully strange noises coming from the inner office. Grunts and groans and the like.

She froze and her cheeks coloured. It was disgusting. She knew that some elected officials were decadent enough to... She couldn't say it, even in her own thoughts. How dare Ms. High and Mighty Congresswoman Wyatt be doing *that* in her office when she had an appointment? Then again, she's believe anything of Andrea Wyatt. She had heard about the infamous kiss in the hallway.

Still, she was here to do a job and she would do it. It would serve Ms. Wyatt right for her to just barge right in and interrupt them. It was too much to hope that she or her lover would be embarrassed, but it would only be right to stop that sort of behaviour in the office.

With her head held high, Ainsley opened the door and walked in.

"And just what do you think you're doing?" She demanded. Then she stopped, shocked. Ms. Wyatt was being bent uncomfortably over her desk, her clothes torn and crying. The man holding her had his face contorted in fury and was in the process of trying to lift Ms. Wyatt's skirt.

Ainsley reacted without thinking. She swiftly picked up a book off the bookshelf and slammed it down on the guy's head.

"Get off her, you animal." She shrieked into his ear, slamming the book down again. "You disgusting pig." This time she used the corner of the book to clock him in the temple where she knew it would hurt.

The man let go of Ms. Wyatt and shook his head in pain. He looked at Ainsley, who brandished the book with a mean expression on her face, and pushed past her out of the office.

Ainsley put down the book and went to help Ms. Wyatt to her feet.

"Are you all right?" She asked, concerned.

"No." Andrea whispered, barely able to form that simple word. Ainsley hugged her gently, leading her to the armchair.

"It's okay. He's gone now. You're safe..." She crooned, noting with concern the blood and swelling on Andrea's face. That bastard must have hit her several times.

"No, I'm not." Andrea choked out, still crying. "Toby..."

"No, that wasn't him." Ainsley said soothingly. "I'll call the police."

"No. Want Toby..." Andrea said, more firmly, curling up into a ball and wrapping her arms around herself.

"Oh. I'll get him for you."

**

"Toby, it's Ainsley Hayes." She said falteringly as Toby picked up the phone.

"What do you want?" He asked, ungraciously.

"I'm at Andrea Wyatt's office. She's been hurt..."

"I'll be right there."

Ainsley blinked as she heard him hang up. Then she shrugged and went over to Andrea.

"Will you be okay for a minute if I go get a wet cloth?" She asked Andrea, who nodded. "I'll be right back."

**

Andrea barely moved as Ainsley gently washed the blood off her face. She seemed to be totally shut down and Ainsley thought seriously about calling the police. She had witnessed an attempted rape and she knew she should report it, but she wasn't sure that Andrea would be able to deal with it. She wasn't sure she could, either.

Andrea tensed as there were footsteps in the hallway and when Toby Ziegler appeared at the door, she flew out of the chair and into his arms.

"It's okay, Andi. I'm here." Toby held her tightly, rocking her. "I'm here, baby. I won't let anything happen to you..."

Ainsley watched with tears in her eyes. It must be nice to have someone you could trust like that. She started to turn away when she noticed that Toby was trying to catch her attention.

"Call the police." He mouthed to her. With a quick nod and shaking fingers, she obeyed.

**

The arrest of Steve Fairbairn for aggravated assault and attempted sexual assault sent shock waves through the Democratic Party and the nation. His supporters tried to believe in his innocence, but the evidence was clear. Ainsley was an impeccable witness for the legal side of things and Toby's finely crafted words to the public went a long way towards blackening his reputation forever.

Toby felt absolutely no remorse about utterly destroying Steve Fairbairn. He had hurt Andrea and that was all the reason he needed to annihilate the son of a bitch.

Although she had no sympathy for Fairbairn, even CJ thought he was a little excessive in his campaign of destruction. Until the letters came in from Fairbairn's former campaign workers vindicating Toby's opinion. Andrea wasn't his first victim. She was, however, his last.

END

\--

Adrienne                  


End file.
